[2026] Major Awards in Art, Design and Spatial Production, from the Good Design Award to the Praemium Imperiale

In 2026, results of awards in Japan and abroad in the fields of art, design and spatial production again came in one after another. On October 15, the Japan Institute of Design Promotion announced the “2026 Good Design Award,” and on Wednesday, October 28, the ceremony for the 37th Praemium Imperiale will be held in Tokyo. This article sets out the main awards whose results came out in 2026, listing organizers, announcement dates and main winners, and also summarizes announcements and ceremonies scheduled after October 21.

The lineup of awards also reflects an interest in how to evaluate experiences and spaces. The US-based international “MUSE Creative Awards” has a group of “Experiential & Immersive” categories, with winners from Japan as well. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government held the “Projection Mapping Tokyo Award” as one of its measures to promote nighttime tourism. At the Venice Biennale, the international jury resigned and awards decided by visitors’ votes were newly created.

Design and space awards: The Good Design Award and the Japan Space Design Award

2026 Good Design Award

Of 5,111 entries screened, 1,484 won awards, and the Grand Award (Prime Minister’s Award) went to Yamaha’s “EAD50,” a drum expansion module with a dedicated microphone. The 19 Gold Awards included the exhibition “TSUGU minä perhonen” (minä Co., Ltd., the Setagaya Art Museum and The Asahi Shimbun Company), and a Good Focus Award went to the performing arts work “MANGALOGUE: Phoenix” at MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives. The “G Exhibition,” showing all winners, will be held at Tokyo Midtown from Saturday, October 31 to Wednesday, November 4 (free admission).

Organizer: Japan Institute of Design Promotion
Announced: October 15, 2026
For details, see our article on the Good Design Award

Japan Space Design Award 2026

This spatial design award was launched in 2019 when the Japan Commercial Environment Design Association (JCD) and the Japan Display Design Association (DSA) merged their respective awards. Following the third round of public judging on Saturday, August 29, the awards were decided on September 10, with 146 works on the shortlist, 428 on the longlist and 72 Young Talent Awards.

According to the preliminary results, the Gold Awards included “Design Ah! neo” (exhibition and event space), “Techniques for Observing Nature” in the 1F South Wing of the Japan Gallery at the National Museum of Nature and Science (cultural exchange space) and “GOOD PRINTER” GOOD GOODS ISSEY MIYAKE (show window and art space), among others. Nara Prison Museum by Hoshino Resorts received a Silver Award, and the museum is also holding its first night museum from December 4. The top award, KUKAN OF THE YEAR 2026, will be announced from among the Gold Awards at the awards ceremony on Friday, October 30.

Organizers: Japan Commercial Environment Design Association, Japan Display Design Association
Announced: September 10, 2026 (awards), October 30 (KUKAN OF THE YEAR 2026)

Awards for experiences, spatial production and projection mapping: MUSE, the Tokyo Award and CJPF

MUSE Creative Awards 2026

Organized by the US-based IAA (International Awards Associate), this international award honors outstanding work in advertising, marketing campaigns and brand communication. An international jury judges blind, with 85–100 points earning Platinum, 75–84 Gold and 65–74 Silver.

From Japan, Sony Group’s “Sony Square” won Platinum in the “Immersive Brand Experience” category (list of winners on the official website).

Organizer: IAA (International Awards Associate, United States)
Announced: No announcement date given on the official website
For details, see our article on the MUSE Creative Awards

Projection Mapping Tokyo Award

Covering projection mapping staged in Tokyo between April 2023 and December 2025, the award selected three works from 45 entries. The top prize went to “Elder Shibusawa’s Banquet.” The Excellence Awards went to “Nakano Sunplaza Projection Mapping -To be continued-,” organized by Nakano City, and to “Senso-ji Hozomon Gate / Five-Story Pagoda / Important Cultural Property Nitenmon Gate Projection Mapping” at ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2025. The metropolitan government held the award as an initiative for the “promotion of nighttime tourism” set out in the “2050 Tokyo Strategy.”

Presented by: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau
Announced: March 2026 (according to the winners’ announcements)
For details, see our article on the Projection Mapping Tokyo Award

CJPF Award 2026

This award honors projects that have achieved results by making use of Japan’s appeal, and its 14 winners were announced on February 20. The Grand Prix in the Project category (100 entries) went to “A cultural exchange project to co-create Japanese content and deliver it strategically to the world” (Manga Productions / Manga Arabia). In the Movie category (237 entries), two works, including Oita Prefecture’s “Discover Oita’s Hidden Gems: The Art Edition,” won the Grand Prix.

In the previous year (2025), the Project category Grand Prix went to “teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM.com” (organizer’s announcement). The next edition will invite entries in a single unified category, with winners to be announced and awarded in February–March 2027.

Organizer: Cool Japan Public-Private Partnership Platform
Announced: February 20, 2026 (awards ceremony on Monday, March 2, 2026)

Art, media art and photography awards: From the Praemium Imperiale to Venice

37th Praemium Imperiale

The laureates were announced on September 8 in six cities, including Tokyo and Paris. The painting laureate is Jenny Holzer (United States), sculpture Andy Goldsworthy (United Kingdom) and architecture Daniel Libeskind (United States). Herbert Blomstedt (Sweden) was chosen for music, and Cate Blanchett (Australia) for theatre/film.

Each receives ¥15 million, and the awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, October 28, at Meiji Kinenkan in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo. The 29th Grant for Young Artists went to the association La Source-Garouste in France.

Organizer: Japan Art Association
Announced: September 8, 2026
For details, see our article on the Praemium Imperiale

9th Nam June Paik Prize

Presented by the Nam June Paik Art Center in South Korea, the award went to Ryoji Ikeda, a media artist based in Paris and Kyoto. The organizer announced it on e-flux on September 7, and the ceremony was held on September 8. The prize is 50 million won, and he is scheduled to hold a solo exhibition at the center in 2027.

Organizer: Nam June Paik Art Center (South Korea)
Announced: September 7, 2026
For details, see our article on the Nam June Paik Award

Prix Ars Electronica 2026

This award is organized by Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria, and the winning works were presented at the Ars Electronica Festival from September 9 to 13. The Golden Nicas (prize money €10,000) in each category went to Andrew Herzog’s “Deer Hunter” in New Animation Art, Forensic Architecture’s “A Cartography of Genocide: Israel’s Conduct in Gaza Since October 2023” in Interactive Art+, and SummitShare and Shared Histories Team’s “Open Digital Infrastructure for Shared Histories Cultural Heritage” in Digital Humanity.

From Japan, Shin Hanagata’s “CHIMERIA” received an Award of Distinction in Interactive Art+, and Nozomu Kubota’s “AI’s Silent Omissions” an Honorary Mention in Digital Humanity.

Organizer: Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria)
Announced: No announcement date given on the official website (festival held September 9–13, 2026)

Art Encouragement Prizes (fiscal 2025, 76th)

The Agency for Cultural Affairs announced the winners on March 2. In Fine Arts A, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Award went to Eisaku Ando (sculptor) and Kenjiro Okazaki (artist and critic), and the New Face Award to Chie Aoki (lacquer sculptor) and Takuro Tamayama (artist). In Fine Arts B, the Minister’s Award went to Naoto Fukasawa (product designer), and the New Face Award to evala (musician and sound artist) and Yuko Nagayama (architect).

In Media Arts, the Minister’s Award went to Kazuya Tsurumaki (director) and Satoru Makimura (manga artist), and the New Face Award to Yukinobu Tatsu (manga artist) and Natsuki Hanae (voice actor). The prize money is ¥1.2 million for the Minister’s Award and ¥800,000 for the New Face Award.

Organizer: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Announced: March 2, 2026

50th Kimura Ihei Award

The 50th edition of this award for emerging photographers went to Kanade Hamamoto (born 2000 in Kanagawa Prefecture) for the photobook “– · ·” (Cho Tan Tan) (Shinju Shuppan, 2025) and the exhibition of the same name. Asahi Shimbun Publications announced it on March 24. At the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, a 50th anniversary photography exhibition will be held from Saturday, October 31 to Monday, November 23 (national holiday).

Organizers: The Asahi Shimbun Company, Asahi Shimbun Publications
Announced: March 24, 2026

Venice Biennale: 61st International Art Exhibition

At the 61st International Art Exhibition, “In Minor Keys,” conceived by Koyo Kouoh (May 9 – November 22, 2026), the international jury resigned on April 30. La Biennale di Venezia moved the awards ceremony from May 9 to the last day of the exhibition, Sunday, November 22, and newly created two awards decided by visitors’ votes as “Visitors’ Lions”: best participant and best national participation. Ticket purchasers who have visited both venues can vote. The Japan Pavilion’s exhibition and highlights until the close are introduced in our article on the 61st Venice Biennale.

Organizer: La Biennale di Venezia (Italy)
Awards ceremony: Sunday, November 22, 2026

Upcoming announcements and ceremonies (after October 21)

• Wednesday, October 28: Awards ceremony for the 37th Praemium Imperiale (Meiji Kinenkan)

• Friday, October 30: Announcement of “KUKAN OF THE YEAR 2026” of the Japan Space Design Award 2026 (awards ceremony). The teams advancing to the final of the Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award Vol.11 are also scheduled to be announced

• Saturday, October 31 – Wednesday, November 4: G Exhibition: 2026 Good Design Award Winners Exhibition (Tokyo Midtown, free admission)

• Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday): Conferment ceremony for the Order of Culture (Imperial Palace). In fiscal 2026, recipients include architect Toyo Ito and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto (our article on the Order of Culture and Persons of Cultural Merit)

• Wednesday, November 4: Announcement of the results of the Good Design Award visitor vote, “Everyone’s Good Design”

• Saturday, November 14: Final screening and awards ceremony of the Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award Vol.11 (plaza in front of the Conference Tower, Tokyo Big Sight, free admission)

• Sunday, November 22: Awards ceremony of the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale

• February–March 2027: Announcement and presentation of the CJPF AWARD 2027 (planned)

• April 16, 2027: Announcement of the MUSE Creative Awards 2027 results (planned)

Abroad, the Lumen Prize, an international award for art and technology, is scheduled to announce its winners in November, and Britain’s contemporary art award, the Turner Prize, will announce its winner on Thursday, December 10.

Frequently asked questions

Can the Good Design Award winners be seen in person?

The G Exhibition displays all 1,484 winners. It runs from Saturday, October 31 to Wednesday, November 4, from 11:00 to 19:00 (closing at 18:00 on the final day), with free admission and no reservation required.

What is the difference between Platinum and Gold at the MUSE Creative Awards?

According to the official website, awards are determined by score: 85–100 points for Platinum, 75–84 for Gold and 65–74 for Silver. Because awards are decided by score rather than ranking, several works in the same category may receive the same award.

Editor’s perspective

Most awards are chosen by judges, but some incorporate the voices of visitors. In Venice, awards decided by visitors’ votes were created after the international jury resigned, and the Good Design Award also holds a visitor vote at the G Exhibition. Some awards, like MUSE, decide prizes by score, producing several Gold Awards in the same category. Checking not just the name of an award but who chose the winners and how makes the meaning of a win easier to read. Among open-call awards, the results of TOKYO MIDTOWN AWARD 2026 were announced on October 16, and entries for TERRADA ART AWARD 2027, which supports emerging artists, open on December 16.

*Information as of October 21, 2026. Please check each organizer’s official website for the latest information.

*Top image: The installation at the exhibition by Kanade Hamamoto, winner of the 50th Kimura Ihei Award (from Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc.’s press release)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements by each organizer and facility (as of October 21, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: Among the awards introduced in this article, HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, is involved in the planning, production and/or producing of the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition,” the “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition,” the Senso-ji projection mapping (ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS) and “KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO” aboard the Asuka III (About us).

Awards for works involving HITOHATA, INC.

• MUSE Creative Awards 2026: Platinum in the “Hologram / Projection” category for “KAGUYA” and “MYSTERIO” aboard the Asuka III, and Gold for the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition,” the “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition” and “ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2025” (list of winners on the official website)

• 2026 Good Design Award: “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition”

• Projection Mapping Tokyo Award: Excellence Award for “Senso-ji Hozomon Gate / Five-Story Pagoda / Important Cultural Property Nitenmon Gate Projection Mapping” (our article on the award for the Senso-ji projection). The second edition, ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026, is held at the Main Hall and Hozomon Gate from Friday, October 30 to Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday) (free viewing, no advance registration required)

• CJPF Award (2025): Excellence Award in the Project category for the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition” (organizer’s announcement)